


Better Love

by Chalichi



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms
Genre: Boys Kissing, M/M, New Year's Eve, Past Drug Use, nervous Jesus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 14:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9185071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chalichi/pseuds/Chalichi
Summary: “Do you think it's midnight yet?” Daryl asked suddenly, looking up at the dark sky sprinkled with stars above them.“I have no idea. Why?”Paul's heart started to beat faster in his chest.Daryl turned towards Paul again, looking deep into his eyes.He looked nervous, but determined.The flutter in Paul's chest got even more intense.“So I can do this.” Daryl leaned forward capturing Paul's lips with his own in a soft but searing kiss.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a short, fluffy one-shot about New Year's Eve.  
> Well that didn't happen.  
> Apparently I'm not capable of writing short stuff.  
> But I do think I succeeded in the fluffy part! 
> 
> Anyway! I hope you'll enjoy this not-so-short one-shot:)

New Year's Eve was just around the corner.  
Well, they thought so at least, no one really kept much track of days or months anymore.  
But no one really argued with Eric when he had said he wanted to throw a New Years Eve party.  
They'd already had a small Christmas get together. Completed with a tree, presents and something similar to Christmas food. 

“We're not dead! So why not start celebrating the holidays like we did when the world was normal?” He had said.

No one had come up with a valid enough argument to not to.  
“I mean, this is as normal as the world’s going to get right?” He'd added, that being the selling argument. 

Rick and the others from Daryl's family had agreed and also said they should keep it small.  
And just like that, they started ordering out tasks to everyone. 

Paul who had been visiting Alexandria for a few days, got caught up with the idea and agreed to help out. He too could use some normalcy in his life. Especially after the war.  
Even with Negan no longer being a threat, the aftermath of the war against him hung low around everyone, like a dark cloud reminding everyone what they've lost.  
That was why he thought Eric's idea had been really great, bringing some light to everybody's eyes. 

Well except for one.  
Paul glanced to the corner of the room.  
There he saw Daryl sitting with his arms crossed, glancing down on the floor.  
Paul hadn't gotten a chance in to really get to know the somewhat grumpy hunter, but there'd was something about him that interested him since the day he'd shoved a gun to his face.  
But a lot had happened so fast since then.  
Paul had managed to break Daryl free from the sanctuary, and after that Daryl had been to broken to really get to know.  
Shortly after that the war with Negan had started.  
But now, now they had time.  
And Paul didn't want to waste it. 

Ha got up and walked over to where Daryl was sitting.  
The hunter must've heard him coming, because he looked up and fixed his gaze on Paul. 

“Hey!” Paul said, taking a seat next to Daryl.  
Daryl just grunted in response, clearly not feeling like talking. 

“Looking forward to the party?” He asked gesturing towards Daryl's family at the table, sitting close to each other, discussing eagerly. 

“Not really.” Daryl answered. 

Paul turned his head towards the other man.  
“Why not?” He asked.

Daryl sighed and leaned forward in the chair.  
“I'm not good with those kind of parties.” 

Paul furrowed his brows in confusion to Daryl's answer.  
“What do you mean with ‘those kind of parties’? What kind of parties are you used to?” 

Daryl stayed quiet for so long after getting asked the question, that Paul started suspect that he wasn't going to answer.  
“It's ok. You don't have to say anything.” He said and got up from the chair.

He could feel Daryl looking after him as he walked away towards the rest of Daryl's family to help them with the plans. 

*

The next day Alexandria was buzzing with excitement.  
People were running around hanging up various decorations they'd been digging up from the depths of their houses – decorations they'd been sure of never would be used anymore.

When Paul got out of Aaron and Eric's house, where he was staying on his visits, he was shocked by the sight he was greeted with.  
There was a long table placed in the middle of the street, Christmas lights around some of the fences where the table was placed and a few rusted grills lined up a few feet away from the table. 

Some of the people were still decorating the tables with glitter and other ornaments they'd found. 

“So! What do you think?” Aaron said walking over next to him. 

“A little to glamorous for me, but it looks good.” Paul laughed.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Eric have always had this love for glamorous things.” Aaron said, laughing with him.  
“But it makes him happy. I haven't seen him this happy in weeks.” 

Paul and Aaron looked over at said man standing in the middle of the street, bossing people around with a huge smile on his face.

“I see what you mean. Looks like he's really enjoying himself.” Paul said. 

After a few minutes of watching Eric, Paul turned his head towards Aaron.  
“Do you think Daryl will show up tonight?” He asked. Thinking back at the brief conversation they'd had the other day the scout really didn't think so, but he could hope. 

“I don't know.” Aaron answered honestly, looking away from his boyfriend to look at Paul. “But I'm sure Rick knows.” 

Paul nodded and looked back at Eric, now helping a woman set the table. 

“Yeah, he looks really happy.” Paul said. 

*  
Paul managed to duck away from Eric's claws and found Rick helping Michonne and Enid with the food.  
Rick looked like he wished to be in any other place but there. 

“Looks like you're have fun!” Paul said in a chirped tone, earning a glare from the other man, which Paul just chuckled at. 

“Absolutely.” Rick said looking over at Michonne with a fake smile. She just rolled her eyes at him and continued with the preparations. 

“I'm sure!” Paul said, picking at some of the apples laying on the counter. 

“Why are you here? Don't you have any assignments like the rest of us?” Rick asked watching the younger man. 

“I have!” Paul said quickly, laying down the apple he'd been studying.  
“I'm helping Aaron out with the chairs later.” 

“That answers one of my questions.” Rick said, still watching him. 

Paul sighed, Rick was more impatient then usual, which was totally understandable. 

“Yeah, I was wondering if you'd know if Daryl will show tonight?” He asked. 

Rick looked surprised by the question, probably wondering why the younger man was having this sudden interest in the moody hunter.  
“I think so. Haven't really asked him. He looked a little odd yesterday, but he haven't said anything.” Rick answered.  
“Why don't you go ask him yourself?” 

Paul pondered that though a little.  
Maybe he should.  
The worst thing that could happen was that he would be kicked out of the hunters house. 

“I think I'll just do that! Thanks!” Paul said picking up the apple he'd been toying with before. He took a huge bite from it and walked away.  
He could hear Rick mutter something behind him before the door shut. 

*  
The hunters house was still and quiet.  
Paul could understand why he'd chosen that particular house as his own.  
It was a far enough away from the rest of the buzzing of the community to be peaceful, but close enough to not be completely shielded off.  
The house itself was quite small in size, but not small enough to get claustrophobic.  
It was fitting for the hunter. 

Paul walker up to the door and knocked.  
He waited and listened for any movement coming from the inside.  
When a few minutes had passed he knocked again, just to be greeted with silence. 

Paul felt a lump of worry starting to stir in his stomach, and reached out for the doorknob.  
He turned it and the door opened with a soft click.  
Paul peered inside the dark house, not seeing or hearing the hunter.  
Paul dared to walk inside the house, getting more worried something had happened to the older man, knowing he wasn't much for sleeping late. 

As he walked around in the house, he noticed the lack of furniture and personality in the interior.  
It was like he'd just thrown in the necessaries in his home, keeping it purely functional.  
Paul was convinced that it wasn't far from the truth. 

He walked to the end of the living room and noticed a door who was standing slightly ajar.  
He opened it more fully and looked inside.  
There was a bed and a dresser standing side by side against a wall in the otherwise naked room.  
The lack of personality in the house was almost frightening by this point.  
Even his own trailer back at Hilltop had a more homey feeling, and he was hardly even there. 

He heard the front door open and turned away from the bedroom to face the owner of the house.  
“What the… What are you doing here?” Daryl asked tiredly. He didn't look angry, just surprised and really, really tired. 

“I came to look for you. Got worried when you didn't answer the door, though something had happened so I walked inside. The door wasn't locked so…” Paul answered with a shrug. 

Daryl nodded and walked past Paul into the bedroom.  
He tossed his crossbow in the corner of the room and sat down on the bed.  
“I'm fine. Just went hunting. That was my task for the party I guess.” He said, laying down on top of the bed, his legs still planted on the floor. 

“Oh, Rick didn't tell me. He wasn't even sure if you would show up tonight.” Paul said, leaning against the doorframe, looking at the man on the bed. 

Daryl huffed a laugh and glanced over at Paul.  
“He wasn't the one giving me the task. Eric did. And I'm sure he would kill me if I didn't show tonight, so don't worry. I'll be there.” 

Paul smiled slightly at him and stood up straight.  
“I'm happy to hear that.” 

Daryl hummed in response and closed his eyes.  
Paul took a few steps forward and stopped just by the bed.  
His eyes roamed over the length of the hunters body.  
From his long legs, his slim hips, his toned abdomen and broad muscular shoulders and arms that was tucked behind his head.  
At last his eyes landed on his face and saw that the hunter were watching him through narrowed eyes.  
Paul could feel his entire face flame up by the knowledge of being caught checking the man out.  
He waited for the man to yell at him, or at least tell him off for staring at him, but it never happened.  
Daryl kept looking at him curiously. 

Paul cleared his throat and looked over at the door instead, the hunters intense gaze playing tricks with his mind, making it unable for him to form a sensible thought. 

“Something on your mind?” He head Daryl ask. “Figured you wanted to talk about something, since you haven't left.” 

Paul looked back at the man in the bed.  
He really wanted to ask what he'd meant the night before. About not being good with parties. 

“I can hear the gears working from here, spill before you explode.” He said with a hint of humor visible in his tired voice. 

“Yesterday,” he began slowly, Daryl still watching him intensely. “Yesterday you said you wasn't good with parties like these. Why?” 

Daryl closed his eyes and breathed out with his nose.  
Paul tensed up, fearing he'd overstepped something with his question.  
He knew it wasn't his business, but he really wanted to know so he could erase old and bad memories for the hunter and replace it with better ones. 

“When I was younger, me and my brother used to go to these parties on New Year's Eve.” Daryl began, keeping his eyes closed and his voice so hushed Paul had to strain his ears to make out what he was saying. “Merle had all kinds of friends, but most of them were junkies. Merle would always use some after a few beers. And the more drunk and high he'd get, the more he'd would nag at me to...” He didn't end the sentence. He didn't need to, Paul understood. 

“I'm sorry…” He said, feeling really shitty for making the man dig up these old memories because Paul had been curious. 

“It's ok. Was a long time ago.” He shrugged Paul's apology off. “What I meant when I said that I'm not good with these kind of parties, is that I'm not used to actually sit and talk. I'm not used to have a good time without alcohol and stronger shit. Don't really know how I'm supposed to act…”  
He shrugged again and closed his eyes. 

Paul walked the last steps to the bed and sat down beside Daryl, really wanting to say something comforting but coming up blank, knowing nothing he could say would make any difference. 

“I used to go to similar parties, but I wasn't pressured into doing anything.” Paul said, earning a quick glance from the other man.  
“Came down pretty bad one time though. Thought I was going to die, I panicked for hours. My friends wanted to call an ambulance but I was convinced all paramedics were aliens.” Paul laughed, earning a huffed laugh from Daryl too. 

When their laughter died down Paul got up from the bed and started to walk out of the room.  
“I hope you'll have a good time tonight anyway.” He said glancing at the man. “Make new memories, act like everything is normal and that the dead isn't walking around for a while.” 

Daryl hummed at him but didn't open his eyes. 

“See you in a few hours.” He said and left Daryl alone. 

*  
The sun was slowly sinking lower on the sky, painting the horizon with pink and purple light. 

All of Alexandria was out, everyone gathering around the long table talking with each other.  
Eric was in the center of attention and was greatly enjoying it.  
Paul had to admit that he'd done a really good job decorating the place, given the limited items he'd have to choose from.  
The Christmas lights were lit and the glitter on the table was shining like tiny diamonds in the dimmed light.  
It was really pretty.  
Rick and Michonne were standing by the grills, preparing what Paul only could guess being a selection of rabbits that Daryl had brought home from the previous hunt. 

Paul had taken a seat between Tara and another girl who he didn't know the name of.  
She'd introduced herself when he'd sat down, but he forgot her name just as fast.  
He strained his neck to look around the mass of people, trying to find a certain face in the crowd, without success. 

“He'll be here.” Tara said.  
He looked over at her with wide eyes.  
“If he said he'll be here, he'll be here, don't worry.”

“How did you know?” He asked her. 

Tara snorted a laugh putting down the drink she was holding on the table.  
“Oh please! It's visible from miles away that you're interested in him. Everybody knows.”  
She picked up her glass again and looked over at the faces by the table.  
Then she extended her finger, pointing at something.  
“There he is!” She shouted, slapping Paul on the shoulder almost making him fall into the girl next to him. 

He looked up and saw Daryl walking over to the table.  
He stopped were Aaron and Eric were sitting. He stood there and talked to them for a while and then made his way over to Rick and Michonne.  
Paul's eyes followed his movements the whole time. 

“Yeah, obvious.” He heard Tara muttering beside him. 

“Shut up.” Paul chucked. 

*

The evening went by pleasantly.  
Everyone was talking and having a great time.  
Even Daryl seemed to enjoy himself Paul couldn't help to notice.  
He'd been shooting glanced at him throughout the evening, the older man having caught him on more than a few occasions.  
When that happened Paul would just look down at the table with a burning sensation on his cheeks. 

“It's miracle Daryl doesn't have a pair of eye-shaped holes on his forehead by how hard you've been staring at him tonight.” Tara said when Paul had looked down for the millionth time that night.  
“Don't get why you don't just walk over to him. He likes you too you know!” 

Paul looked up at her in disbelief.  
“What?” 

Tara's eyes grew wider.  
“You two are seriously the most stupid people on the planet, walkers included. And that says a lot on how stupid you guys are!” She hissed loudly.  
“I mean, are you blind?!” 

Paul looked at Daryl again.  
He was sitting close to Rick and Michonne, talking about something. 

“I don't see anything.” He said, smiling broadly at Tara. 

“Not right now. But whenever you're looking down because you get caught staring at him, he smiles and looks at you some more!” Tara tells him, almost knocking over her drink with her wild gestures. 

“Okay! Okey! I believe you! Just, calm down!” He said, holding her hands in place. 

He glances over to where Daryl is sitting again. They were laughing at something, Daryl's features were so different when he were smiling, he looked younger and more carefree. Paul wanted Daryl to laugh and be happy all the time. 

“I still think you should go and talk to him.” Tara said. 

“Can't just walk over there and disturb them.” 

Tara snorted,  
“Of course you can! It's real easy, you just walk over there and say, ‘hi Daryl, may I borrow you for a while’ and then he'll either say yes or no.” 

Paul tore his eyes away from Daryl.  
“Well it's the ‘no’ I'm afraid off.” 

“He won't say no.” She said, glancing down at Paul's hands still holding her's in place. “Care to release me now?” 

Paul looked down to where Tara was looking and let go of her.  
“Sorry!” 

Tara looked at him with a smile.  
“I will forgive you, but only if you marsh your ass over there!” 

“Fine!” He said, getting up from the chair and started walking over to where Daryl was sitting. 

If Daryl agreed to actually walk with him, what were they supposed to talk about?  
And if he didn't walk with him he'd just end up looking like a fool.  
Was that what he had to choose from?  
Awkward silence or being a fool. Neither sounded that appealing. 

When he'd walked halfway over to Daryl he saw the hunter getting up from his seat and were walking towards him.  
He waved at Paul to follow him, and Paul broke into a light jog to meet up with him. 

They walked away from the crowd of people in silence.  
Paul was so caught up in his own head to pay any attention to where they were headed, he were just following Daryl.  
When Daryl suddenly stopped Paul snapped out off his thoughts.  
They were standing by the watchtower, Daryl was on his way up the ladder.  
Paul wondered why Daryl had led them there but didn't voice the thought.  
He followed Daryl up the watchtower and they sat down beside each other on the floor. 

“I like it up here.” Daryl said after a while of silence. “Can see everything.” 

Paul glanced around and noticed that Daryl was right. You could see all of Alexandria, as well as keeping a lookout outside the wall. 

“It's really peaceful up here.” Paul said then. 

“Yeah, it is.” Daryl mumbled back. 

They sat in a easy silence again, just looking at the people at the party.

“Looked like you had a good time tonight.” Paul said after a while, turning his head toward Daryl.

“It was alright.” He said, meeting Paul's gaze. “Looked like you were bored though.” 

Paul could feel his face heat up.  
“No, I just had a hard time focusing, you were distracting me all evening.” 

“How?” Daryl asked, narrowing his eyes a little. 

“You were looking at me all the time.”

Daryl snorted at laugh, making Paul blush even more.  
“Only when I could feel you looking at me, or when Rick told me you were.” 

Paul wished for the earth to open and just swallow him whole.  
“I'm sorry.” He said, hiding his face in the palms of his hands. 

“Hey, don't.” Daryl said, bringing down Paul's hands, revealing his face again.  
“Kinda liked the fact that you were looking at me.”  
A faint redness breaking out on the hunters face after the confession.  
. 

“I've been thinking a lot,” Daryl began. “About what you said before you left my place.” 

Paul looked at him, curiously.  
“Yeah?” 

“I think you're right.” He continued.  
“Sure, we can't forget all the dangers out there, but we should live while we're still alive. Leave the past in the past.” 

“That sounds really good.” Paul agreed. 

They fell into a comfortable silence, just watching the people down below. 

“Do you think it's midnight yet?” Daryl asked suddenly, looking up at the dark sky sprinkled with stars above them.

“I have no idea. Why?” 

Paul's heart started to beat faster in his chest.

Daryl turned towards Paul again, looking deep into his eyes.  
He looked nervous, but determined.  
The flutter in Paul's chest got even more intense.

“So I can do this.” Daryl leaned forward capturing Paul's lips with his own in a soft but searing kiss.  
Pauls mind went completely blank! He couldn't grasp the fact that Daryl was actually kissing him!  
He felt Daryl snake his arms around his waist, pulling him closer.  
Paul catched on, and wound his arms around Daryl's neck, he tilted his head a little to deepen the kiss. 

When they broke apart Daryl leaned forward, brushing his lips against Paul's forehead. 

“Happy new year.” He said breathlessly. 

Paul grinned up at him.  
“Happy new year.” 

He moved in closer to the older man, grabbing his hand and entwined their fingers.

Paul couldn't help the huge smile that was spreading across his face.  
He didn't know if this meant if they were together, but he knew that they were starting something.  
And he couldn't be happier about it.


End file.
